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Amazon Products As Free Bonuses During Launch - A Good Idea?

by Kris Turner
9 replies
I've been thinking about offering a physical book as a bonus during a launch of a relatively low-priced product (maybe $67).

Say the first 50 or 100 people to order get the regular digital bonuses, plus the physical book. Then I would order the book on Amazon for each of the people who qualify and enter their address for the shipping (so much easier than buying the book in bulk and shipping them yourself).

Is this a bad idea for a reason I'm overlooking?

Would Amazon have a problem with me placing 100 orders for the same book and sending them all over the place?

I've seen no one do this, but I don't see why it can't be good. In certain markets and for a low-priced product, a good physical book should be a nice bonus.

Thoughts?
#amazon #bonuses #free #good #idea #launch #products
  • Profile picture of the author WillR
    I would think it would throw up some sort of red flag if you were ordering that many books and sending them off to different addresses. I doubt Amazon would allow it. They are pretty careful when it comes to fraud so they usually only let you ship to the same address.

    I would also be careful when offering physical bonuses. The reason many people do not offer physical bonuses is that you are left out of pocket when people order just to get the bonus, then ask for a refund as soon as they receive the physical bonus. If you were going to go this route then you would probably want to make it very clear that the book would not be sent out to them until after the guarantee/warranty period has expired.

    Here's an idea. Have a look around ebay and see if you can find someone selling the same book. A lot of time it can be very easy to setup some sort of drop-ship arrangement with guys on ebay. I have done it several times before.
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    • Profile picture of the author Daniel F. Lavoie
      Originally Posted by WillR View Post

      I would think it would throw up some sort of red flag if you were ordering that many books and sending them off to different addresses. I doubt Amazon would allow it. They are pretty careful when it comes to fraud so they usually only let you ship to the same address.
      Originally Posted by WillR View Post

      I would also be careful when offering physical bonuses. The reason many people do not offer physical bonuses is that you are left out of pocket when people order just to get the bonus, then ask for a refund as soon as they receive the physical bonus. If you were going to go this route then you would probably want to make it very clear that the book would not be sent out to them until after the guarantee/warranty period has expired.
      If you have a solid product that really bring value to your market, you should not be worried about this issue.

      Yes a couple of donkeys that will take advantage of your offer but - in the end - if it brings more extra money than the amount lost then you are the big winner here.

      Also, I don't know why Amazon would have a problem with this.

      Please don't add a condition like they receive the bonus only after the guarantee expires.

      Don't make it a pain in the *ss to deal with you. Make the transaction fun, easy, without any subtitles.
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      • Profile picture of the author WillR
        As soon as you try and ship things to addresses different to those listed with your account and credit card (especially when you are talking over 50 different addresses) that is when they get very suspicious. That is how a lot of fraud is carried out and so don't be surprised if they don't let you.

        "If you have a solid product that really bring value to your market, you should not be worried about this issue."

        He asked if there were any reasons he had been overlooking so I wanted to at least point that one out. BTW, don't think it never happens. As they say, always prepare for the worst because one day it will happen. If you are not prepared for things like this then one day you'll find yourself in some trouble. It's fine to sit there and say "If you have a solid product...blah blah blah" however that is not going to help him when there is a technical glitch with his product and all his customers want their money back.
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        • Profile picture of the author Daniel F. Lavoie
          Originally Posted by WillR View Post

          It's fine to sit there and say "If you have a solid product...blah blah blah" however that is not going to help him when there is a technical glitch with his product and all his customers want their money back.
          Like a said in another thread. A replication company screwed up 25% of all the DVDs sent during my first product launch. Guess how many people asked for a refund... 0.

          It all comes to customer service. If you can handle the crisis, you won't get refunds.
          If you can handle it very well... it will strengthen the bond with your clients.

          My recommendation: Alex, email or best give a call to amazon (they are really friendly) if you have a yes then go ahead with your idea.
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          • Profile picture of the author WillR
            Daniel,

            I totally agree that good customer service can go far - but you also need to remember that there are people out there who are always looking to make a buck and cause trouble.

            Let's say some jerk decided to order his first 100 copies using different aliases, received all the books, then asked for refunds on the original product. Unlikely, yes, but ignoring stuff like this will come to bite you in the rear end one day.
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            • Profile picture of the author Daniel F. Lavoie
              Originally Posted by WillR View Post

              Daniel,

              I totally agree that good customer service can go far - but you also need to remember that there are people out there who are always looking to make a buck and cause trouble.

              Let's say some jerk decided to order his first 100 copies using different aliases, received all the books, then asked for refunds on the original product. Unlikely, yes, but ignoring stuff like this will come to bite you in the rear end one day.
              Good point. Maybe a 5-7 days gap before sending the orders to Amazon would do the job.
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  • Profile picture of the author ArticlePrince
    As mentioned, you are out of pocket for shipping if they refund, so I'd either limit the bonus more or order them and ship them yourself to avoid issues with Amazon. Or build shipping cost into your pricing, whichever works.
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  • Profile picture of the author JustinDupre
    It's a great idea to provide that type of service. But, I think you should get down the pricing and shipping like what everyone else said. Always better to be safe than sorry. Good luck!
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  • Profile picture of the author WillR
    Alex,

    I forgot to mention, in terms of creating customers for life, your other option is to not even mention the bonus book at all. Ship it out to customers after they have ordered as a special unannounced bonus. Imagine the rapport and goodwill you would create with your customers by doing it that way. They would be all over any further offers you presented to them.
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